Denis R. McDonough

The White House on Monday worked to contain the damage caused by one of President Barack Obama's closest aides, who, in a seemingly candid, behind-the-curtain magazine story, ripped the Washington press corps, boasted of creating an "echo chamber" of supporters to sell the Iran nuclear deal and appeared to dismiss long-time foreign policy hands, including Hillary Clinton, as the Blob.

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The White House on Monday worked to contain the damage caused by one of President Barack Obama's closest aides, who, in a seemingly candid, behind-the-curtain magazine story, ripped the Washington press corps, boasted of creating an "echo...

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, doubling down on his opposition to President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, said Sunday that there’s no way the Republican-controlled Senate will hold a confirmation vote — not even after the November election.
...

President Barack Obama is determined to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, and if he decides to do so without Congress, there may be little his opponents can do to stop him.
Since his State of the Union address on Tuesday, when Obama reiterated that...

President Barack Obama is determined to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, and if he decides to do so without Congress, there may be little his opponents can do to stop him.
Since his State of the Union address on Tuesday, when Obama reiterated that...

Insanity, as the well-worn aphorism goes, consists of doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. This bit of wisdom has become such a cliche that it's almost insanity to repeat it — but repeat it I will, because it perfectly...

A senior White House official described as "maddening" Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's boasts about sending illegal narcotics to America, but he declined to say Sunday if actor Sean Penn faced potential legal liability for meeting with the...

Welcome to Clout Street: Morning Spin, our weekday feature to catch you up with what's going on in government and politics from Chicago to Springfield.
Topspin
It's Tuesday, Dec. 1, the day Gov. Bruce Rauner and legislative leaders will meet as a...

"The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is about. Islam is peace."
— President George W. Bush, Sept. 17, 2001
With recovery personnel still digging through the smoldering rubble of the World Trade Center and...

Published in Chicago Tribune on November 24, 2015 — Print headline: "Where is the leadership on an urgent issue?"

"The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is about. Islam is peace."
— President George W. Bush, Sept. 17, 2001
With recovery personnel still digging through the smoldering rubble of the World Trade Center and...

Published in Chicago Tribune on November 24, 2015 — Print headline: "Where is the leadership on an urgent issue?"

If you've watched President Barack Obama's various speeches and news conferences over the past few days, you can be forgiven for coming away with the distinct impression that he doesn't like you.
First came the president's robotic, tone-deaf news...

The White House sought Tuesday to reassure U.S. governors concerned about accepting Syrian refugees following the attacks in Paris, explaining during a conference call how the refugees are screened and prioritized for entry.
Of the 34 governors who...

White House chief of staff Denis McDonough recently spoke to J Street, a left-wing organization that fancies itself the headquarters of the tough-love-for-Israel crowd. J Street’s critics would phrase it a bit differently. In a charitable mood, they’d say...

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Israel's Arab citizens on Monday for remarks he made during last week's parliament election that offended members of the community.
The move appeared to be an attempt to heal rifts and mute criticism at...

Few if any of the domestic policy proposals President Obama talked about in his sixth State of the Union speech stand much chance of landing on his desk to be signed into law, but they've already begun to have an impact in another arena: shaping the...

The president is upset. Very upset. Frustrated and angry. Seething about the government's handling of Ebola, said a front-page headline in The New York Times.
There's only one problem with this pose, so obligingly transcribed for him by the Times. It's...

Washington said countries in the Middle East had offered to join airstrikes against Islamic State militants and Australia said it would send troops, but Britain held back even after the group beheaded a British hostage and threatened to kill...

WASHINGTON/LONDON (Reuters) - Washington said countries in the Middle East had offered to join air strikes against Islamic State militants and Australia said it would send troops, but Britain held back even after the group beheaded a...